Bears Quietly Shopping Briggs

BEARS QUIETLY SHOPPING BRIGGS

Although teams technically aren't allowed to use the franchise tag solely as a means to obtain trade value for a player who is eligible for unrestricted free agency, there's growing talk/speculation in league circles that the Chicago Bears don't plan to keep linebacker Lance Briggs, and that they applied the franchise to him for the sole purpose of facilitating a trade.

Per a league source, the Bears have talked with several teams about a trade for Briggs. The veteran outside linebacker, who has become a star in the Tampa Two defense, technically will not be under contract until he signs the one-year tender offer that the team has extended to him.

This means that Briggs can skip the entire offseason, training camp, and the preseason before reporting, while still receiving the full amount of the $7.2 million that will be guaranteed as soon as he signs it.